Enchanted Ecstasy (6 page)

"Why have you not married?" She could not refrain from asking.

His bronzed hand moved softly over her ebony hair. "Someday I shall tell you, but not now. Go to your aunt, Little Flower. I know she is waiting to see you."

Maleaha rushed to the tent opening on shaky legs.

"Maleaha, I will not wait too long," Mangas said. It was not only a statement but a promise.

Kane paced up and down in the teepee that he was sharing with one of the Indians who had accompanied Miss Deveraux. His mind was in a quandary. He wanted to ask the Indian man if Miss Deveraux was spending the night with Mangas. He was angered by that prospect. Hell, she was half-white. She had no right to give herself to that Indian. For all Kane knew, the man might have a wife, or several wives for that matter. But why should he care? It was his responsibility to look after her, he reasoned. After all, she had made this journey with him. She was Jonas Deveraux's daughter, and Jonas would not approve of his daughter staying with the Jojoba chief. Kane knew that the chief had been speaking very intimately to the girl today, but he could not tell what her reaction had been.

The old Indian looked at Kane with an unreadable expression on his face. Kane saw the man reach for the bowl of food that had been brought to him earlier by an Indian woman. Kane had no intention of eating the food even though he was hungry; there was no telling what it contained.

Lying down on the robe, he focused his eyes on the opening at the top of the teepee. The night was dark, with only a few stars twinkling overhead. He thought of the Indian girl. She was so beautiful. Kane was honest enough with himself to admit that he wanted her. It did not matter that she was half-Indian. It did not matter that she was obstinate and made him appear to be a fool at every turn. It did not matter that probably at this very moment she lay in Mangas's arms. He wanted her as he had never wanted a woman in all his life, and he despised himself for it.

For so long now Kane had been bored by the women in his life, but since he had met Miss Deveraux he had experienced excitement again. And he was certainly never bored with her. He wondered what it would feel like to have her lying in his arms at this very moment.

He wanted to see those green eyes heavy with passion, passion that he had evoked. He wanted to taste those lips that could tease him with a smile or scorch him with angry words.

"Damn," he said aloud, and was aware that the old Indian had raised up on his elbow to look at him.

Kane turned over on his side and closed his eyes, trying to put the girl out of his mind. He tried to think of his mission, which might or might not be considered a failure, depending on how the colonel viewed it. "Sleep, I need sleep," he said, to no one in particular.

When Maleaha left Mangas's teepee she found her Aunt Kosha waiting for her. It had been three years since Maleaha had seen her aunt, and she was glad to see that she had not changed. Kosha had no children of her own. In her youth she had borne one daughter who had died the same day.

Maleaha knew her Aunt Kosha loved her. She had spent many happy days with her as a child. There was happiness reflected on Kosha's face as she enfolded her dead sister's daughter in her arms and led her to her own dwelling.

That night many friends of her childhood came to her aunt's teepee and they talked long into the night. It was good to be with her mother's people, she thought, and she felt the love and respect they communicated to her. After all, her aunt told her, she was a princess of the Jojoba, and the people had also loved her mother a great deal.

It was almost dawn when Maleaha fell asleep. It seemed she had only closed her eyes when her aunt shook tier gently. "You must eat, Maleaha, you have a long journey ahead of you, and you do not want to get a late start."

Maleaha was having her breakfast with her aunt and uncle when Lamas entered the teepee to inform her that Mangas wished to speak to her before she left. Kissing her aunt and uncle good-bye and promising to visit them again soon, she made her way to Mangas's dwelling.

Mangas was waiting for her, and he led her inside.

"I wanted to wish you a safe journey, Little Flower, and to tell you to be on the lookout for the Arapaho. I would not want anything to happen to you."

"I will be quite safe; you need not be concerned for me.

"Come, I shall walk you to your horse. Lamas will not be going with you at this time, so stay close beside Salador. He is sworn to protect you with his life."

They were outside the teepee now, and the sun was just coming up over the distant mountains.

"Why does Lamas stay behind, Mangas?"

"I wish to send a spy into the Arapaho country. He is familiar with the land and he also speaks their language. Do not worry, he will return to you in a very short time."

Maleaha nodded. "I will say good-bye then, Mangas. I hope you can settle the problem of the Arapaho."

He touched her cheek softly, "It is not good-bye, Little Flower. We shall meet again soon."

Maleaha was not aware that Major Kanen Benedict watched her as he prepared to mount his horse. He had seen her coming out of Mangas's teepee, and it was not hard for him to draw the conclusion that she had spent the night with the chief of the Jojoba. He did not miss the loving way Mangas touched her face. Mounting his horse, he stared straight ahead. His eyes blazed angrily, thinking what a little slut she was.

Maleaha walked gracefully across the camp and mounted her horse. Noticing the major's foul mood, she did not wish him a good morning as she had intended to.

Mangas raised his hand in a silent salute, and she raised her hand to him. She looked about for her aunt and saw her standing beside her husband, so she raised her hand to them as well.

Angrily spinning his horse around, Kane nudged it in the flanks and rode away, leaving Maleaha and Salador to follow.

5

All morning they rode in silence, and late in the afternoon Kane pulled up his horse. He had not eaten since the day before at breakfast, and he felt almost weak with hunger.

Maleaha offered him some of the corncakes her aunt had given her, but he refused, deciding he would eat a can of beans he had brought along instead. Maleaha wondered why he was behaving so strangely, but he did not choose to enlighten her, and she would not ask.

They rode until almost sundown before Kane halted and announced they would camp beside a stream. Maleaha dismounted, unsaddled her horse and led him to the stream to drink. By the time she returned she saw that the major had opened his can of beans and they were warming over the campfire he had built. Salador had disappeared earlier, but he soon joined them with two good-sized rabbits which he gutted and cleaned, then placed over the fire to roast. The aroma of the sizzling meat was almost more than Kane could bear. He spooned some of his beans onto a tin plate and offered it to Maleaha, but she refused it, saying she much preferred the roasted rabbit.

Kane took a bite of the beans and frowned.

"Major, I would suggest you wait until the rabbit is done. I am aware that you have eaten nothing since yesterday. I do not relish the thought of nursing you, should you become ill."

His silver eyes sent out sparks. "I will tolerate no more of your insults, Miss Deveraux." He grabbed her arm and propelled her against him. "I have had to endure your bad temper and your sharp tongue for days now." His grip tightened on her wrist, and Maleaha could feel herself being drawn tightly against his body. She looked around for Salador, but he was nowhere in sight.

"Release me," she said as fear prickled her spine.

Kane brought her captured hands up to rest on his chest, and Maleaha's eyes widened as she felt the strength in him. Raising her head, her green eyes collided with his silver eyes, and at that moment she was swept away into the depths of a silver river. Emotions such as she had never experienced came crashing to the surface. She wanted to look away but found she could not. She was aware that he had released her hands, but still she did not move. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, Maleaha felt his hands move caressingly over her back. Tiny shivers danced on her skin where his hands blazed a trail.

"You little devil, you get inside a man's mind and torment him," Kane said harshly.

Maleaha's eyes moved down to his lips, and she heard his deep intake of breath. "Please release me," she pleaded. Fear such as she had never known crept into her body. She felt weak and her stomach seemed to be tied up in knots. His hands stopped at her waist, and she felt him apply pressure, bringing her body even tighter against his. Something akin to pain, and yet not pain, wracked her body, and she melted against his hard masculine form. She tried to speak, but no words passed her lips. His handsome face seemed to loom over her and she tried to struggle, but she found she was no match for his superior strength.

"You are half-child, half-enchantress," he whispered against her ear. Maleaha felt his warm breath as it stirred her hair. Suddenly, she did not want to be free. She did not know what was happening to her, but she felt that it was something she had waited all her life for. It was as if this moment was destined to happen.

Maleaha laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. This was what it felt like to love a man. She had often wondered what the love between a man and woman would be like and now she knew. It was beautiful, it was painful, but it felt so right. She seemed to fit perfectly in his arms; it was as if God had created them for each other.

"Did Mangas hold you in his arms like this?" Kane asked harshly.

It took a few seconds for his words to penetrate Maleaha's mind, and when they did, she raised her head to look into his eyes. "I do not understand," she said in total confusion.

His grip tightened as he crushed her in his arms. "It does not matter. All that matters is that you are now in
my
arms. Why should I care who has shared your favors before me. I have never demanded innocence in the women I make love to."

Maleaha pushed against his arms and stepped back. "I am not sure I understand what you are saying to me," she said, hoping she had not read his meaning correctly.

"Do not play innocent with me. It does not matter that you are not a virgin. I would not be interested in you if you were." His voice was deep and insulting, and Maleaha felt hurt to the very depths of her being. 'I . . . I . . ."

"God," he cut in as he pulled her back into his arms. "You act so pure and innocent. If I did not know better, I could almost believe you. I have never wanted a woman as much as I want you." He was raining kisses over her upturned face, and Maleaha fought the battle that raged inside her. His lips were making her body want to surrender, but her anger held that desire at bay.

He thought she and Mangas had spent the night together!

Maleaha pushed against him and whirled out of his arms. "How dare you insult me! I would not let you kiss me if you were the last man on earth."

Kane gave her a mocking smile. "Your eyes say otherwise, as did your desirable body when I held you in my arms. What game do you play, Miss Deveraux? Do you want me to beg for your favors before you bestow them on me? I can assure you that will not happen. I could easily have a more willing partner with much less effort."

Maleaha did not doubt his words. There must be many women who had succumbed to his charms, as she almost had a moment ago. Raising her head proudly, she gave him a scorching glare.

"You must think more of your power over women than I do, major. I believe I can just manage to save my virtue," she said insultingly.

His deep laughter made her nerve ends stand on edge.

“I doubt that you have any virtue left, Miss Deveraux. How many men from the fort have sampled your charms, and how many from the Jojoba tribe, notwithstanding the chief, have you had? Do not misunderstand me, I am not condemning you, I am merely asking what difference one more would make? I can promise you pleasure," he whispered in a deep voice.

Maleaha tried to cover up her confusion. Hurt and anger once more battled for supremacy. He thought she had lot only been with Mangas last night, but with many others as well. She could feel the sting of his accusations in the very depths of her heart, and the unfamiliar sting of tears just behind her eyes. She would not let him see the weakness of tears, nor would she allow him to see how much he had wounded her. Her pride came to her rescue.

"Major, you do think a great deal of your power over women! Perhaps in the past you have had many successes, but let me set you straight on one point. I will never be one of the women you love!" Her anger carried tier one step farther. "You seem to think you are a gift put an this earth to please women, but I do not find you in the least to my liking."

His eyes narrowed, and the muscle in his jaw twitched. 'Let me set you straight on a few points, too, Miss Deveraux. I have never loved the women I have been with, and lone of them seemed to prize themselves as highly as you do. As for liking me, it is not a requirement. I only want to bed you, not win your affection!"

Maleaha was at a loss for words. She had no idea what Major Benedict was talking about. She had been raised on a ranch and was not ignorant of the way baby animals were conceived, but in her wildest imaginations she co not fathom what love between a husband and wife would be like, nor had she ever given it much thought. She 1 always thought that one day she would fall in love and marry, but what the major was suggesting was degrading and insulting! Did he think that because she was half-Indian she was promiscuous? She was ready to set him straight when she heard Salador returning. The major, however, had not heard the quiet moccasin footsteps.

"Everything we have said to one another does not amount to anything," Kane said. "I felt you yielding in my arms a few moments ago. I have been with enough women to know when one is ripe for making love, and you, Miss Deveraux, are overripe."

Salador stepped in front of Maleaha, his hand resting lightly on the hilt of his knife. "Shall I carve this man’s heart out, Maleaha? I heard the words he spoke to you. Your father would kill him if he knew of this."

Maleaha answered him in the language of the Jojoba as he had spoken to her. "Leave him alone, Salador. I will find an effective way to satisfy my honor, never doubt it. One day I will bring the proud and arrogant Major Kanen Benedict to his knees." She turned and walked to the other side of the campfire. Salador looked at the white man and then he also turned his back. Maleaha would do as she had threatened, he had no doubt. He could almost find it in him to pity the white man. Almost, but not quite.

The next morning the silence between the three weary travelers was ominous. Maleaha wanted nothing better than to reach home. She felt miserable; the last night she had hardly slept. She had been affected more deeply than she would like to admit by the cruel words Major Benedict had said to her, and this morning he had hardly acknowledged her presence. Maleaha knew that had she been white he would never have treated her in such a disrespectful manner, and her Indian blood cried out for revenge.

It was well past noon, and the heat from the sun that beat down on them was becoming unbearable. Kane unbuttoned his bluejacket, but still felt no relief. The distant mountains seemed to beckon to him with their promise of cool breezes and the shade of the pine forest.

They were riding through a canyon with small rocky hills on both sides, and Kane scanned the rocky incline. That would be a bad place to be ambushed, he thought, becoming alert. It was just at that moment that he heard a blood-curdling war whoop and realized that that was just what was about to occur.

He observed that not less than twelve Indians were bearing down on them. It flashed through Kane's mind that it would be useless to try and outride the Indians, since their horses had been ridden hard all day and would never outdistance the Indian ponies.

Kane reached for the reins of Maleaha's mount, but she whirled away from him and rode toward the hills. "Miss Deveraux!" He yelled, as a bullet whizzed past his head.

Maleaha bent low over her horse and kicked the animal in the flanks, trying to gain more speed. She supposed that the major and Salador rode close behind her. When she reached the base of the steep hill she seemed to freeze. She knew what would happen to her if she were taken alive by the Indians, and that fear held her captive, unable to move.

Kane jumped from his saddle and lifted her to the ground. He already had his rifle in his hand, and he quickly withdrew her rifle from her saddle holster. Then he half pulled, half carried her up the hill, and when he reached the top, amid flying bullets, he pushed her down behind a huge rock and lay down on his stomach, raising his rifle to his shoulder.

Maleaha crawled over to his side, and both of them saw Salador, as he turned his horse and rode back toward the enemy.

"No!" Maleaha cried as she raised her hand in a silent plea. "No! Salador!" She would have risen but Kane pushed her roughly to the ground.

"Lie down, you little fool, do you want to be killed?"

Maleaha watched helplessly as Salador raised his rifle and fired at the oncoming Indians. Two of the Indians fell from their horses, then another, as Kane fired his rifle. Salador was now surrounded. Maleaha screamed as she saw him raise his gun to fire one last time. Another enemy fell to the ground, but Salador was mortally wounded, and Maleaha watched helplessly as he fell from his horse and the Indians trampled his body beneath their horses' hooves.

Raising her rifle, she fired, not taking aim, but firing out of grief and anger. "He sacrificed himself for me!" she cried, blinded by tears. Suddenly her anger pushed her grief aside. She would kill the men who had taken Salador's life.

Kane aimed his rifle, and once more one of the enemy fell.

Maleaha stood up, raised her rifle to her shoulder, and took aim. The bullets were whizzing all around her, but she did not seem to take notice. Taking careful aim, she fired and was rewarded as an Indian fell from his horse.

Kane grabbed her and pulled her down beside him. "You crazy little fool. You may not care what happens to you, but I do," he said angrily.

He reloaded his rifle, thinking to himself that they were fortunate—they had the advantage of the higher ground. The Indians would have to show themselves if they tried to climb the hill. Taking careful aim, Kane fired and watched as an Indian rolled to the bottom of the hill. Now there were only a few of the enemy left, and Kane began to feel they might have a chance. Whatever happened he would not let the Indians take Miss Deveraux, he thought, as he aimed and fired but missed his target. Maleaha, however, fired and hit the Indian she had been aiming for. One less to worry about, Kane thought grimly.

He checked his supply belt and cursed himself for not bringing his ammunition pouch with him. He only had two shots left and Maleaha could not have much more. Surprise and relief washed over Kane as he saw the remaining Indians mount their horses and ride away in a cloud of dust. He had not been aware that Maleaha had stood up and aimed her rifle. She fired twice in succession and two more Indians fell. Throwing her now empty gun aside, she reached for Kane's gun, but he stood up and shook his head.